Category Archives: Communications

Aug4

Broadcast PR – PRIA’s new video series with Australian communicators

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Broadcast PR – PRIA’s new video series with Australian communicators

Miranda Schuppan

The Public Relations Institute of Australia has launched a great new video series called Broadcast PR.

The weekly interviews ask Australian communicators about their careers and their views on communications.

The videos have been produced by our video production colleagues at Burning House.

The first interviewee was Miranda Schupann, Communications Manager for The Age.

Here are her videos:

What motivated you to get into the PR industry and how did you get there?

What have been the highlights of your career so far?

What are the main challenges and opportunities you balance in your role or that you see in the communications profession today?

How do you see the PR industry developing and changing in the future?

Sep23

Something old, something borrowed, something new and something blue: AFL Grand Final

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Something old, something borrowed, something new and something blue: AFL Grand Final
afl

afl

After a slightly contentious start to the AFL grand final week with Judd taking home the Brownlow Medal instead of bookies-favourite Swan, it’s time for the fun to begin.

You would have to be in a c-hocolate-induced c-oma to escape the excitement of the AFL grand final across the city. It’s everywhere from Federation Square, taken over by AFL sponsors and outdoor radio broadcasts, to colleagues critiquing the colour of your wardrobe choices. *Hangs head in shame*

And on Saturday, whether you’re drinking Crown Lager with the business elite in the VIP marquees surrounding the MCG or heading to a barbecue with friends, the AFL grand final has something for everyone.

From a communications perspective it’s the closest to an Australian version of the Super Bowl we have. And it’s an excellent way for large and small organisations to engage a huge audience of AFL fans and friends.

While we may not have the million dollar advertising spends and hype of the US Super Bowl, we are starting to see some truly creative partnerships between the AFL and businesses.

Staying with the Super Bowl for a moment, the billions of dollars companies pump into on commercials, both buying the time and creating them, has also paid off from a viral perspective. Months before and after the commercials are first shown there is huge chatter about them on social media platforms with many videos going viral. My favourite commercial from this year had to be Betty White and Snickers … comedy gold!

So what can communicator’s learn from Australia’s version of the Super Bowl?

Firstly, let’s look to the blue carpet of the Brownlows – and no I’m not going to talk about Brynne. The blue carpet is a great example of a sponsor making an element of a major event its own. Toyota turned the traditional red carpet into the blue carpet in 2009 for the launch of the new Toyota Prius and it’s now regularly discussed as part of fashion, social and even sporting commentary.

ACTION: What part of your next sponsorship can you make your own?

Secondly, take a leaf out of AFL’s book and make sure you have a good game plan for your communications. The AFL has become very good at extending the excitement of AFL across the year, with careful consideration given to the different activities and how people can get involved. We attended a PRIA Leadership Breakfast with AFL Media Manager Patrick Keane a few months back and learnt about the amazing amount of planning that goes into developing AFL events from January to December.

ACTION: Map out your communications activities for the year, identify the gaps and fill them up with new activities!

Thirdly, networking and relationship building is always easier to do when you can bond over a mutual interest. The AFL grand final is the perfect example of major companies using their client’s love of sport to entertain them and build relationships.

ACTION: Think about what mutual interests you share with your clients and search for opportunities to engage with them.

If you’re looking for inspiration on engaging community activities, head along to Federation Square this week. There’s prizes to be won courtesy of NAB, Origin Energy and a number of other sponsors. There’s also special club areas for AFL fans. And there’s a live outdoor broadcast by SYN FM. And of course there’s the big screen … which come game day will provide one of the best seats in the house.

Tomorrow, the city will grind to a halt for the annual grand final parade … and whether your team is in the grand final or not, it’s still a fun and enjoyable experience!

Cheers,

the c word

PS. Tell us on Monday what you thought of the coverage, the commercials and the comedy!!

Aug11

Let’s Get Digital

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Let’s Get Digital

PRIA's Let Get Digital Panel: Kristen Boschma, Liz Green, Jason Whittaker and moderator Jack Walden

Last night the c word’s Managing Director, Jack Walden, moderated a panel of digital communicators at an event appropriately named ‘Let’s Get Digital’. The panelists for the evening were:

  • Telstra’s Head of Online Communications and Social Media, Kristen Boschma (@Kristen_Boschma)
  • ABC TV’s Digital Communications Marketing Manager, Liz Green (@ABCTV_australia)
  • Deputy Editor of Crikey, Jason Whittaker (@thetowncrier)

With representatives from Australian organisations providing leadership and innovation in the digital arena, the panelists provided some fascinating insights and points for discussion.

Telstra’s Kristen Boschma explained the use of three Rs to guide their social media policy; representation, responsibility and respect. She also stressed the need for flexibility in social media and empowering your staff to know how to respond and engage. Telstra’s approach is about equality in service, which means they respond to everyone on Twitter; not simply those with a huge following.

Kristen likened good social media to a great dinner party with great food, great guests and great conversation. The same analogy works for bad social media; the bad dinner party where one drunk guest sits at the end of the table and just talks at the other guests.

Liz Green from ABC TV spoke about the flexibility of ABC TV’s social media policy. Their four-line policy guides staff on how to interact on Twitter and Facebook, while allowing personalities to shine through. In total, the ABC has an impressive 438 accounts across Facebook and Twitter.

Liz also highlighted the value of strategy; although social media is cheap, it is also resource intensive, which is why you need to be strategic about how to best use your resources. One example of this is the ABC blog, which has become a primary channel to distribute press releases.

Jason Whittaker, Deputy Editor of Crikey is another champion of flexibility on social media. Although rules and guidelines are important, he said you need to be able to respond quickly. Journalists nowadays need to be on social media to be privy to where stories are being broken; he stresses however you can get caught out if you rely solely on social media for your information.

He attributed Crikey’s success to not trying to be something for everyone, rather they define their reader and seek them out. He believes if traditional media is to continue to exist, they have to relinquish the appeal to a mass audience and find their niche audience.

All three panelists agreed social media was a commitment to quality exchange rather than simply broadcasting a message. Some key points to take from the evening:

  • You can’t run a Twitter account without monitoring and responding to conversations
  • People can sniff spin. And the beauty of social media is they will tell you
  • Social media is resource intensive, which makes it essential to have a plan about how best to use your resources
  • Social media has empowered the customer, and potentially hundreds of thousands of people see complaints through Retweets making it important to respond quickly
  • Successful media companies will produce content across many platforms and give audience the choice on how to consume it.

You can view the panel’s Twitterstream on #priadigital to get a great overview of the discussion.

Chin chin,

the c word

Aug4

Communicator’s Corner: Sunday Age Political Reporter, Melissa Fyfe

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Communicator’s Corner: Sunday Age Political Reporter, Melissa Fyfe

Melissa Fyfe is the State Political Reporter for The Sunday Age. Her career with Fairfax has seen her take on a varied number of roles including: Sydney correspondent, health editor, section editor and also the state news editor. She has won several awards for her reporting on climate change and water during her time as The Age’s environment reporter.

With a State and Federal election upon us, this will be a feverishly busy year for the political reporter.

1. Tell us about your typical day.

I start the day reading the newspapers and keeping a keen ear on the radio. The rest of the day is spent meeting with contacts, digging through reports, talking to my editors about ideas for the paper, interviewing people and, when parliament is sitting, hanging around the big house on Spring Street. I write my stories on Fridays and Saturdays. Every second Friday I chat to Tony Biggs on RRR about state politics.

2. When did you first know you wanted to be a journalist?

Quite young – when I was in Year 7 at high school.

3. Who’s your communication hero/mentor?

I have had many fantastic mentors at The Age. My journalistic heroes are mostly American writers, particularly those working for The New York Times and The New Yorker.

4. Which tools can’t you live without?

My mobile.

5. What are the biggest challenges in your role?

Managing my time. I have a weekly deadline, so I have to be very disciplined about what I do. Also, dealing with the spin machine of the government and the opposition is very difficult at times. In an election year the stakes are very high.

6. Tell us about the best story/campaign you’ve ever worked on?

In the scheme of other stories in my career this one was quite small but it meant a lot to me: I reported on the plight of a young mother who was in a public housing flat so mouldy it was causing her and her baby significant illness. The housing minister moved her within months. She is now living in a place with no mould and her life has completely changed. Her baby is so healthy and happy now. I am also proud of the story myself and my colleague Jill Stark broke recently on Kevin Rudd’s chief mental health adviser quitting.

7. Which campaign do you most admire?

This is difficult to answer because in my business a campaign means an election campaign. Barack Obama’s tilt for US president is easily the best example of a political campaign for office that we’ve seen in decades. It’s been said many times, but his harnessing of grassroots support through the internet was spectacular and left the Republican campaign totally flat-footed.

8. What’s been the biggest change to communication industry/journalism since you began your career?

Obviously the internet. It has massively reshaped the newspaper industry, eroded the classifieds and changed our business structure. It has opened up many more opportunities for journalism but obviously threatens the fundamental economics of old-school media.

9. What’s your favourite brand?

I don’t really have one.

10. What book/blog do you think every communicator should read?

Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style. An oldy (1918) but a goody.

11. What tips do you wish you’d known starting out in your field?

The value of confidence. Backing yourself is important.

12. Finish this sentence: ‘Communication is… keeping the message simple, powerful and accurate’

You can view Melissa Fyfe’s work when kicking back with the papers on Sunday or follow her on Twitter @melfyfe

May27

Communicator’s corner: Maryann Separovic

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Communicator’s corner: Maryann Separovic

Maryann Separovic is an Account Director at the c word. She made the move to the c word after years of experience in arts and entertainment publicity and promotions.

Tell us about your typical day in communications?

It all depends on which campaign I’m working on but it usually starts with checking news sites to see what happened in the world while I slept. I try to check my Google Reader at this time too; I get a wealth of information here from PR news, social media to what’s current in the blogosphere.

While I tap away at my keyboard, I like to keep an eye on Twitter. This is a great tool for me to source articles, news and also engage with fellow communicators, clients, media and the community.

Our projects at the c word are varied so the day can include anything from strategy development, proposal writing, copy writing and editing, research to brainstorming sessions and coming up with creative ideas and plans for our clients. Publicity tours can means endless days shuffling from one radio station to a TV studio with my phone glued to my ear.

When did you first know you wanted to work in communications?

After finishing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Communications, my career took a slight detour in IT. I leant some invaluable skills in varied roles but I wanted to put my communication skills into practice. A little bit of networking goes a long way and I was offered a fantastic opportunity to work with a freelance film publicist and reintroduce myself to the world of comms.

Who’s your communication hero/mentor?

I’ve worked with some amazing women in the early years of my career who taught me the ropes. Their support, tenacity, guidance and expertise were invaluable. Thanks Roxanne and Elise ☺

Given that I’ve invested years into watching the West Wing, I think I can count C.J. as a mentor too. What a woman!! Great press secretary and super awesome Chief of Staff.

Which tools can’t you live without?

My laptop and my iPhone. I consider them extensions of my body. I cannot fathom what life was like several years ago when we weren’t connected ALL the time. What did I do with my time? :P

What are the biggest challenges in your role?

Keep up to date with the changes brought about by technologies. This not only includes the technology itself but knowing that Sally from the suburbs may be a key influencer in your field.

Tell us about the best campaign you’ve ever worked on?

I’m very proud of the Run for Safe Climate social media campaign we worked on last year. We didn’t have much lead-time but we hit the ground running (oh dear … pun not intended) and managed to achieve some great results for Safe Climate Australia. During that manic six weeks, we grew their social media network to 1500+ fans on Facebook and close to 1000 Twitter followers. With key influences like Greenpeace, Cool Australia, Green Cross and Victoria Police lending support through their networks, we reached a further 50,000 fans and followers and also secured interviews with traditional media via Twitter.

Working on Passion of the Christ also needs a special mention. Up until this film, I had worked mainly on small independent films that did solid box office takings given their size. The media mayhem that led up to the film’s release was eye opening. Great experience.

Which campaign do you most admire?

I love the campaigns that do so much with so very little.

Given my history in film publicity and love of the Interwebs, I always admired the crazy phenomenon that was the Blair Witch Project. To be a worldwide success on a small marketing budget is remarkable. With a clever strategy anything is possible. Artisan Entertainment picked up the film in 1999 and the late Steven Rotherberg developed the groundbreaking distribution campaign. It extensively used the Internet, creating a website suggesting that the events that took place in the film were real. I still get shivers recalling their website and the Blair Witch legend. Blair Witch Project grossed more than US$248 million worldwide, making it the second most successful independent film of all time (It was only recently surpassed by Paranormal Activity). Source: Wikipedia

This was well before myspace, Facebook and other social media channels. Word-of-mouth at its best.

What’s been the biggest change to communication/marketing/public relations since you began your career?

While technology has changed how we work as practitioners, the fundamentals are still the same. Building and nurturing relationships, and conveying key messages are still crucial but we may go about it a little differently.

If you had to cut/keep something in your communication budget, what would it be?

*hand over ears* nah nah nah… I can’t hear you.

What quality do you look for in your communication team members?

Curiosity, enthusiasm and diligence.

What’s your favourite brand?

Hmmm…not sure if I have one. Apple may be my closest experience with brand loyalty but even I look upon that relationship cautiously.

I am impressed with a couple of Australian organisations who have flourished since gaining an understanding of their audience and tapping into it effectively. Channel Seven and Country Road have made this turn around. Sportsgirl is another I admire for having an impressive digital strategy.

What book/blog do you think every communicator should read?

When I was in New York in 2009, I happened on a book launch tweetup for World Wide Rave. The tweetup launch was being held at the NASDAQ with author David Meerim Scott ringing the bell to open the NADAQ stock market. It was a fun day and introduced me to this fantastic read about marketing online packed with useful examples.

After attending the launch, I added Mr Scott’s blog Web Ink Now to my Google Reader subscriptions. Easy read, great advice, the man knows his stuff.

What tips do you wish you’d known starting out in communications?

The Scout’s are onto something … be prepared. Research and planning make solid foundations for any campaign or activity.

Finish this sentence: ‘Communication is…’

Ever evolving

May19

When did your shareholders give you a gold Cadillac?

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When did your shareholders give you a gold Cadillac?
Still shot from Solid Gold Cadillac

Still shot from Solid Gold Cadillac

Last week, I stumbled across a black and white film called The Solid Gold Cadillac starring Judy Holliday and Paul Douglas.

And like so many movies it got me thinking about communications, particularly the importance of shareholder and client relations.

In case you haven’t seen it, the 1956 film, based on a hit Broadway play, has Holliday playing a minority shareholder taking on the board while the founder is in Washington working for the President. To keep her from asking too many questions, the board makes her Director of Shareholder Relations. And now for the spoiler … all ends well. The board think they’ve silenced Ms Holliday’s characters and her 10 shares but thanks to the success of her shareholder relations program, she and the founder have enough proxies to replace the entire board. It ends with some very grateful shareholders giving the happy couple – yes they get married – a solid gold Cadillac.

It begs the question, when did you get your last solid gold Cadillac from a client or shareholder? And how can you ensure they keep coming or at least the compliments, referrals and custom keep flowing.

It also reminded me of a wonderful non-fictional shareholder relations story; the relationship the world’s third richest man Warren Bufffett has developed with his shareholders and the wonderful letters he writes to them each year.

So what is shareholder or investor relations?

Wikipedia says: “Investor Relations is a strategic management responsibility that integrates finance, communication, marketing and securities law compliance to enable the most effective two-way communication between a company, the financial community, and other constituencies…The term describes the department of a company devoted to handling inquiries from shareholders and investors, as well as others who might be interested in a company’s stock or financial stability.“

While not every organisation has shareholders they all have stakeholders – customers, clients, members, donors, students or supporters – who all have communication needs.

And stakeholder relations is not only for Fortune 500 companies with millions of stakeholders; any organisation – big or small – can learn from the stakeholder relations experiences of the Solid Gold Cadillac and Warren Buffett:

  • Move away from corporate speak and develop a personal approach to your correspondence and communication – don’t be afraid to be a little humorous
  • Randomly pick a stakeholder from your database and send them a letter; ask them what they think about the company and why they’re still involved – you’ll be amazed at the response
  • Be open and honest about your successes and your failures – own up, take responsibility and move on
  • Remember, every shareholder and customer is as important as the next, no matter how few shares or products/services they buy.

Finally, all the way through the movie I thought she would end up on the board and do a darn sight better job than her male counterparts. It’s interesting given the ongoing discussion about the low number of women on boards in Australia.

Enjoy your Cadillac,

the c word

Apr16

Putting the C into creative internal events

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Putting the C into creative internal events

We’ve recently helped a client deliver an internal event for 550 staff members, and even with a short lead time and a limited budget the results were quite spectacular – even if we do say so ourselves. The secret ingredient was creativity.

Just because it’s an internal event doesn’t mean it can’t be creative. And with a few creative ideas you can achieve a lot without breaking the bank.

The event in question was called a ‘Festival of Ideas’ and the aim was to encourage staff to think creatively and put their wildest, wackiest and most wonderful ideas forward. It was a huge success with more than 600 hundred quality ideas generated on the day.

So how did we help the team pull it together in only a couple of weeks?

We started by meeting with the team responsible for the event and helping them nut out the overall concept. Luckily, with only a couple of weeks up our sleeves, they had a firm grasp of what needed to be done and were willing to listen to our crew.

One of the simplest things that many people either put off or forget to do is meet with everyone involved with the event. In this case, the event included a number of stands about particular areas of the client’s organisation, so we sat down with them and helped them determine what would make their stand ‘pop’.

We asked them to consider:

• Their goal and objectives
• What made their area unique
• What they wanted people to take away from the experience/interaction
• How they would capture information.

These are questions you should ask yourself every time you get involved with an event.

As a result, the participating staff were offered an array of guest speakers and activities to encourage the creative flow of ideas; taste testing, tarot card reading, play-dough, living libraries, poignant video and even a talent show.

And now we’re knee deep in surveys and post-it notes, which will form part of a report for staff on the outcomes of the event.

Always creatively,
the c word

Apr8

Asahi: Silver + Black

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Asahi: Silver + Black

Last night I scurried along to the Melbourne launch of Silver+Black; an exhibition and retail initiative hosted at 1000 £ BEND.

Firstly, what a fantastic exhibition; secondly, what an amazing branding opportunity for Asahi. Kudos to the Liquid Ideas team for pulling off a great event with free flowing Asahi beer, delicious canapés (steamed eel – yum) and a jam packed crowd enjoying the space, the art and the atmosphere.

The Asahi event is just the tip of the iceberg; lately wherever you look there are interesting campaigns for alcohol brands using creative and memorable approaches to spread the word. Heineken tricked ardent AC Milan fans into attending a classical music/poetry performance instead of watching a Championship League match. Southern Comfort recently brought New Orleans to Australia by sponsoring a tour of the Polyphonic Spree and New Orleans Bingo! Show. What was particularly impressive about this tour was the way they decked out audience members with complimentary feather head gear, fedora hats, face masks and Mardi Gras beads. Walking into Melbourne’s Forum Theatre and seeing a sea of feathers, masks and fedora hats was jaw dropping, and the atmosphere created by adding a simple touch of fancy dress was electric!

Asahi’s Silver+Black merges art, fashion and design in a retail space with limited edition objects of desire, some of which will be available for purchase. The curated selection of work acknowledges the Japanese ‘wabi-sabi’ spirit of finding beauty in imperfect things.The standout of the exhibition is clearly the Karakuchi Project; a global art project where artists visually interpret the Japanese characters on the beer’s label.

As you may have guessed, I’m a fan of creative campaigns that use less traditional approaches to get their brand’s key messages in the public domain, especially when the arts community benefits from the exposure. What do you think?

Participating artists in Silver+Black include Andrew Curtis, Asuza, Evan Demas, Dave Kinsey, Julia Deville and Kazari. The Karakuchi Porject features Dylan Martorell, Usugrow, McBride Charles Ryan Architects, Michael Leon, Natas Kaupas and Toshikazu Nozaka.

The exhibition runs until 18 April at 1000 £ BEND, 361 Little Lonsdale Street Melbourne. Head down and check it out.

Chin chin (or Kanpai as they toast in Japan),

the c word


Mar24

Have you got a company profile?

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Have you got a company profile?
Prospectus

What does your prospectus look like?

A prospectus is traditionally used when a company is floating on the stock exchange for the first time. The prospectus isn’t just a piece of advertising for the company, rather it helps investors make informed decisions. Similarly, schools and universities use a prospectus to help parents decide which school best suits their child.

So why wouldn’t your business or organisation have a document that tells people what you do and what your experiences are?

the c word recently completed our own company profile (the name we use for our prospectus) which you can view here. Once again we collaborated with our design partner housemouse to ensure the design of the company profile matched its content.

Some key things you should include in your company profile are:

  • Clients you’ve worked with
  • Type of projects you’ve worked on
  • Services you provide
  • And most importantly, who are you

A company profile is the perfect document to send to prospective clients interested in engaging your services. Don’t hesitate to touch base with the c word if you’d like some assistance in creating a company profile of your own.

Now for a word from someone who has seen his fair share of prospectuses over the years, Gordon Gekko who will return to the silver screen in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.

Ciao,

the c word

Mar18

Leverage your sponsorship

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Leverage your sponsorship

Apart from the usual benefits of brand alignment and media exposure that you can gain from sponsorship, sometimes the little details can make an impact too. There are number of different ways you can leverage your sponsorship investment:

  • Brochure and promotional material placement
  • Develop and supply an electronic pack with your logo and brand elements to ensure it is placed on promotional materials, websites and other channels
  • Website acknowledgement and links back to your own site
  • Secure invites to events and networking opportunities; an ideal way to meet potential clients
  • Have information packs ready with background info, FAQs and fact sheets; these can be used across e-newsletters, websites and even annual reports
  • Secure acknowledgement in annual report
  • Offer to participate in joint case study presentations
  • Provide your own staff for talks and presentations at functions, conferences or staff events
  • Secure referrals to other suppliers and clients

Get creative and come up with your own ideas. Or contact Jack or Maryann on 03 9676 9040 or email info@thecword.com.au. We can work together to find ways to get more value from the money you spend on sponsorships.

Check you later :)

the c word